Walked A Lonely Road
by Nigeruu
Summary: Reader x Kagami Himuro! The glamour of Los Angeles, the city of angels, of fame, of sunshine, a whole other world compared to your middle-of-nowhere hometown, was nothing like you had thought it would be. The continuous and constant bustling of urban activity, the ridiculous campus parties and homework piled upon piles worsening with each passing day, how could you survive?


_**A/N:** Originally posted on my knb imagine blog: UCLA!AU scenario with Kagami + Himuro. Reader is from a small town in the country and is now a freshman at UCLA + having a hard time adjusting to the city environment. _

_I really liked the concept of it so I made it into a oneshot, hehehe~ Also, this is a gender-neutral reader fic because we need more of it._

 _Here's a link to the tumblr post + images of Kagami and Himuro's appearance in this fic: (kurobasu-imagines.!tumblr!.!c!o!m/_ _post!/117127773767/for-the-anon-who-requested-a-ucla-au-scenario-with) without the exclamation marks _

_Enjoy~_

-x-x-x-

Los Angeles was a beautiful city, one like no other. Its urban lifestyle had been something that you have never experienced before, and until now, you wondered why was it that you have not been here in the past. The city's unique people, all of many backgrounds, art plastered upon buildings, decorating and bringing beauty even to worn buildings, not to mention the amazing points of interest, all of which you have yet to visit, everything was stunning. But moving into America's second largest city had its cons…for you, at least.

For most of your life, you lived in a small town out in the open country, surrounded by miles beyond miles of farmlands and vacant fields. Not many outsiders came by, save for the occasional gas stops and one-night motel rents. Anyone from the city might as well call your home "the middle of nowhere." People back home would have been offended by that title, but it wouldn't bother you. Now you see that it was, in a way, true. Which is why that you had one day decided to experience the next four years of your life within a populous city. You applied to colleges in the heart of several major cities across the country. When letters of acceptance came around, you went with your first pick: the University of California, Los Angeles.

Your first day in Los Angeles wasn't so bad. Your very nice roommate named Delaney, who also shared the same major as you, had lived here all their life and offered to take you sight seeing. Apparently it was one of those rare days where the city was surprisingly inactive, however you didn't know that until the following day, when you woke to the sounds of sirens, the noise so overwhelming loud considering it was only 6 in the morning. It didn't get any better after that, when you left your dorm with a throbbing headache only to be greeted by the overcrowding campus of UCLA.

Even a month later, the constant bustling of city activity never failed to surprise you. It almost seemed as if it got worse as the days went on. Homework continuously piled on your desk, you never find the time to do laundry, and you had no friends. You just didn't fit in, as you weren't familiar with city lifestyle unlike most students here. Every freshman by now had already joined a certain clique. Perhaps it will stay that way.

-x-x-x-

Today classes had been canceled, and Delaney pestered you to take the opportunity to "go out and find yourself some friends." Delaney was much more persistent than last time, and you thought, alike before, was probably planning to get rid of you so that they could invite over their jock boyfriend for another make out session.

The campus was far less busy today. Most students were either sleeping in or had gone out and about the city, so you lingered around aimlessly, poking your head into rooms you passed by, most of which were empty. It seems that the clubs were taking the day off, as well.

There was one last place you chose to check out. Upon arriving, you were greeted by the scuffling and squeaking of shoes dragging against the gym floor.

There were mostly boys, tall boys, and each busied themselves by dribbling around a line of cones or shooting at the basketball nets. Their hair dampened and skin glistened with sweat, a result of working for who knows how long. Likely since early this morning.

Their shirts also clung to their skin, mapping out every dip and curve of their toned muscles. You swallowed, your throat suddenly very dry.

Two boys at the end of the gym, not sweating and heavily panting like their counterparts, caught your interest. They were the only ones sitting behind the sidelines, chatting away rather than directing their attention towards their teammates on court. They were probably spectators, you presumed.

Just as you were about to turn and take your leave, the two boys both stood, the shorter one with the black hair blowing a whistle that you didn't notice had been hanging around his neck. Those on court quickly lined up before the two and a soft voice began to speak.

Ah. Perhaps those two boys were captain and vice-captain of the team?

"Someone you interested in?" A familiar voice chirped in your ear. You let out an ear-splitting shriek, whirling around and glaring with all your might.

"You—!"

""Scared me?" Sorry, sorry," Delaney offered an apologetic smile. Hopefully the scowl on your face read "apology not accepted." That was the fifth time this had happened this week. Delaney flickers their eyes over your shoulder and gives you a sheepish smile. "Don't look now, but they're all looking this way."

"Wha…?"

A quick glance over your shoulder was all it took for blood to come rushing into your cheeks. Everyone in the gym had been silent, their eyes set on you. You could hear them snickering.

 _Was it the shriek?! Oh god…!_

You grabbed Delaney by the arm and dragged them with you until you were both no longer in sight.

-x-x-x-

As an apology for embarrassing you, Delaney offered to take you to a popular cafe not that far from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The atmosphere was lively. Everyone chatted about the beach, the clubs, celebrity sighting and more. Not to mention the coffee they brewed was absolutely amazing that you wound up drinking three cups.

Afterwards, you decided to part ways for the rest of the day.

"You remember the way back to the dorms, right?" Delaney asks.

"Yeah, of course." Okay, you lied. It's not that you didn't explore the city from time to time, it's just that they were always there with you to lead the way back. But you couldn't go back now. Not after that shriek. Basketball players were popular, right? You worried that people would be talking of "that country loner who showed up to basketball practice and squawked like a chicken." Just thinking of it made you want to crawl under a rock and hide there until you graduate. Besides, some fresh air might do you good.

"I just need some time to relax. Maybe I'll go on a hike. It's pretty quiet up there."

Delaney left you a few bus tickets before turning the opposite direction, heading back to the campus.

-x-x-x-

Getting to your destination was hell. The city bus you rode was so crowded that you couldn't find room to hold onto something. How the driver managed to speed over every bump, rock, and other random objects lying about on the streets, you had no idea. With every jostle the bus made you repetitively bumped into the people in front, behind, and beside you to the point where they shot you a glare. Unable to handle the jumping bus and death stares any longer, you got off at the next stop, managing to trip over a pair of feet as you struggled your way out.

Then there was walking along the sidewalk. Not as bad as you imagined, but from time to time you were approached by a loud, oddly dressed individual advertising stores or random events within the city, and it scared you much more than it should have. The constant honking from the outrageous traffic also gave you a headache. It almost seemed like the drivers were trying to communicate via car.

And at some point, you became lost in so much thought that you've forgotten to take a turn four streets back.

 _Or was it five? Six?_

-x-x-x-

By the time you've reached your destination, the sky had been tainted with bright shades of orange and pink and your legs ached. It was quite the journey, but hopefully worth it at the end of the day.

You've arrived at a hiking trail, one that leads up along the mountains bordering the city. You came here the on your first day in Los Angeles with Delaney, and like that time, it wasn't loud, the traffic noise was distant, and small groups of people, mostly tourist, walked along the path.

The first ascension was rather steep, so you took your time, taking in the solitude that you've missed so dearly over the past month. The higher you climbed the more of the city you could see below. Occasionally you stopped to take photos of the cityscape, even sneak a few selfies when no one was looking.

There was a certain area, not that far off the trail, that Delaney dragged you over to. It was, what they had called, a "secret hideout." This secret hideout was nothing more than a strip of flat terrain on the side of a hill. "One step too far and you'll be tumbling down into the city!" Delaney said with a laugh.

You continued along the hike path for a while, hoping to arrive at the next hill to asce—

You paused.

Where _were_ you?

-x-x-x-

You were most definitely lost. There was no one around and you were surrounded by more bush and trees than you last remembered, the setting sun disappeared behind the canopy of branches and leaves overhead. You recalled taking a descending path as you were texting a friend, yet you didn't bother to pay any heed to it at the time. You regretted brushing it off as a short cut.

If you called Delaney, they wouldn't trust you going out alone again and you couldn't have that. There is no way would you have a roommate acting as your chaperon.

You figured if you came across a path that lead up, you take that, then; the main hike trail being higher up. But you didn't. The current path only continued to descend, until it was basically a road leading straight on. It was hard not to panic in a situation like this, but you were able to keep your calm for the last couple of, what, 7 minutes? It was just now that you were feeling your heart race and sweat pasting to your skin.

You stopped in your tracks and took slow, deep breathes.

"It's going to be alright," you said aloud, "If I panic now, I'll only make it worse for myself. Just calm down and head back, so—"

A dull thud hit the sand of the trail path from behind and you froze. Following after were distinct shuffling of shoes— two pairs, by the sound of it—and it neared, your heart suddenly in your throat.

Run! a voice in your head screamed, but you didn't. You couldn't run, no matter how hard you tried to move. Your legs wouldn't budge. You couldn't turn, your head frozen stiff, facing forward. The footsteps draws in closer, slower, even, like they were being cautious.

And then they stopped.

A scream tore threw your throat, your hands suddenly clenching to the rocks by your feet, and in a second, they were flying towards the two figures approaching you before you had even realized you moved at all.

A flash of red bolted across your vision with such speed and agility that it left you breathless. Out of reflex, you shut your eyes, ready to cry out for help, when a calloused hand grasps your wrist and you choked.

"Hey, calm down." The voice—a male's voice—spoke sternly, yet softly, as if he were rendering some sort of assurance. You are greeted with a pair of piercing, fiery red eyes and matching hair when your sight adjusts to the face looming over you. He reeks of a foreign scent, probably drugs—nope, it was most definitely marijuana. You frown. Any other day, you would have deemed this guy a mugger if it weren't for the awkward smile he offered and lessening grip on your wrist.

"You okay?" He asks. It was quiet for a moment, your eyes flickering over to the other figure—another boy, with slick black hair—standing behind fiery red with his hand rubbing at a noticeable dark spot on his arm, expression somewhat angry and…hurt?

That's when you realize you struck him with a rock.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" You push past fiery red. "I-I panicked, a-and I—"

"No, no. It's alright," he says, waving it off as if it were nothing. "I've had worse thrown at me." You weren't sure if that remark had been a joke—you sure hoped it was—but the male standing behind you snorts and black hair boy looks at his friend, chuckling.

Wait. Haven't you seen them before?

"But I'll admit, you got me quite good," he snickers. "Do you play a sport?

"Huh?"

Fiery red adds, "Yeah, that was a pretty nasty throw! I mean, look, you bruised him."

"It's not a bruise, it's just dirt."

"Uh-huh, yep. That's what you always say, bro."

"Um…I….Uh…" You were at a loss of words; this was all too much to digest. Not even a minute ago you thought you were about to get mugged by two psycho idiots. Now you're stuck with two familiar faces pretending like you weren't about defend yourself with all your killing intent. Even if they truly are as laid-back as they seem, you still contemplated if they were safe enough to stick around for another minute.

The odor of marijuana wafted under your nose again and both you and black haired boy crinkle your noses, grimacing.

"Taiga," black hair boy groans, "Stop that. You'll develop a bad habit, what is that, your third one today? Also, it reeks."

Fiery red—Taiga, apparently—scoffs and looking over, you notice a small joint between his lips.

"Can't help it," Taiga shurgs. "It's your fault for offering me some 3 months ago, Tatsuya."

"Jeez." Black hair boy, Tatsuya, shakes his head and averts his attention back to you. He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but his brows suddenly furrow, eyes boring into your head as if he were intensely concentrated on your face. When Taiga returns to his side, eyeing you the same way, Tatsuya's brows then raise in question.

"Don't I know you?" He asks.

You blink. "What?"

"Oh yeah!" Taiga exclaims. He takes a quick drag of his joint before continuing. "You're the one watching the basketball tryouts earlier."

Oh.

It must have been the clothes they were wearing; it all screamed "gang members," but you had no idea that the two boys standing before you were the same black-haired and red headed ones you were keen on earlier.

You let out a nervous laugh. "Right…um…sorry about screaming so suddenly. My roommate appeared behind me and…" There wasn't a need to finish that sentence; they already knew what came after.

Tatsuya shakes his head. You don't know why, but the way he smiled at you made your cheeks burn. It was so genuine, even comforting, like he was saying not be embarrassed.

"No, it's fine. Delaney's gained a reputation of appearing behind people and bursting out." He looks up to his taller friend. "Right, Taiga?"

Said boy blushes and takes a long drag of his cigarette, muttering a "shut up" after releasing the smoke, the smell, again, unpleasant.

"See, Delaney's quite the fan of Taiga here. Came up behind him about two weeks ago before our practice game and told him to "do your best" in that loud, high-pitched voice I'm sure you know. Taiga screamed like a little girl."

"H-hey! Tatsuya!" He blushes.

You giggle, as you can most definitely imagine Delaney doing just that. What you couldn't quite imagine though was Taiga, tall, buff, definitely intimidating by first glance, screaming in such a high voice that could pass as a young girl. Taiga glares at Tatsuya and drops his cigarette, grinding it into the ground with his heel.

"So, you're a freshman, right?," Taiga inquires you, "I haven't really seen you around before." You nod. "How do like UCLA?"

"Well…," you felt rather timid to share with them that it definitely hadn't been like you thought it would be, that you are still overwhelmed by the city atmosphere, that you had no friends other than Delaney. And these two were basketball players. Athletes carry the name of their school with pride, so perhaps they were expecting something positive out of you.

Tatsuya was still smiling at you. No need to feel shy, is what you read. Unknowingly, your lips quirk up slightly.

"I like it."

Taiga raises his eyebrows and grins. "Really? That's good."

"But it would be a lot better to enjoy if I had any friends, to be honest."

"Oh."

Silence came after. Taiga suddenly looked guilty, the reason, you were unsure of. Well, what did you expect? Athletes were popular, weren't they? They wouldn't understand.

"You remind me of Taiga." Tatsuya approached and place a hand on your shoulder. "When he first moved here from Japan back in elementary school, he was like you; he had trouble making friends."

"Really?"

Taiga cuts in. "Yeah, but Tatsuya helped me, I guess. Said I needed to show off more, find something I'm good at, maybe gain some people's respect with it."

Tatsuya glares at him. "What's with the "I guess" part?"

"Huh…" That you could learn from. You didn't bother joining any extracurricular activities as you were too focused on your studies. Then again, you could use some time off from school work.

"It's only been a month," Taiga says. "Don't feel bad about not having a group friends at this point. You'll find them." And he smiles, all flashing teeth. "I swear it."

Your heart skips a beat, face hot. "Thank you," you manage you mutter. That was the first reassurance you were given ever since you came to Los Angeles. Sure, there was Delaney, but all they did was tell you to "go find some friends." Nothing like this.

"Anyways," Tatsuya says, "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Tatsuya Himuro. Third year. And this guy's Taiga Kagami, a second year."

"Hey! At least let me introduce myself, not you—!"

"We've known each other since early elementary." Tatsuya completely ignored the other, who was now shouting. "Taiga, shut up."

You smile. "And I'm _."

-x-x-x-

Fortunately, Tatsuya and Taiga knew their way back to the main hiking trail and were kind enough to walk you back. Taiga tells you that both he and Tatsuya are members of the UCLA basketball team and are currently in charge of tryouts. Taiga spoke fondly of basketball, his eyes lighting up like fireworks whilst he shares with you some of his high school team's experience back in Japan. Tatsuya, on the other hand, was fairly quiet compared to Taiga, but when he spoke of basketball, it was with the same enthusiasm of his friend.

You tell them about your life back out in the country. Turns out they were much more interested than you thought. As they were both city boys, they inquired about your town, your friends, your high school, what was common, what wasn't. It was the first time you were able to speak about your home in so much depth. And so passionately, too.

"Don't worry about joining an extracurricular on your own," Tatsuya says when the three of you make it back to the main trail. "Everyone is not as bad as you think." Coming from him, you believed it.

You beamed. "Okay."

"Also," Taiga adds, "if you're interested, we could use some help with tryouts. Like, set up, information gathering, all that stuff."

As kind as the offer was, you wanted to turn it down. It wasn't that you had no clue how anything works in sports, but you doubted that you would do a good job. So, you tell him, "I'm not really good at that sort of thing."

"We can teach you," Tatsuya offers. "Anyone is fit for the job."

"Then why me?" The question came out before you could give it any thought. It was pretty bold, and the two boys seemed to be taken aback by it. Before you could apologize, they are both grinning a second later.

"You're a nice person, _. You seem smart, and hard-working." You face blush at Tatsuya's words.

"T-thank you." What a charmer he was. You weren't as shy as before, but Tatsuya sure knew how to make you feel bashful.

"Besides, you wanted to join something with friends, right?" Taiga asks.

Your lips suddenly twitch downward into a frown. Did you need to remind them? No, you didn't, they couldn't be that forgetful.

"What friends?"

Tatsuya and Taiga both exchange looks. It's indecipherable, probably some expression only the two friends could read, but to you, they looked somewhat…offended?

When they meet your gaze again, Taiga gestures between himself and Tatsuya.

"Us, of course."

-x-x-x-

 _ **A/N:** Fyi, I have never been to L.A., and the only experience I've had was from movies…and GTA 5. Sorry if I'm inaccurate!_

 _I'm found at Nigeruu or Kurobasu-Imagines on Tumblr :D_


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